Lesson 48: “The Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord”
Reading 1 – Malachi 3:1
Reading 2 - President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: "Malachi speaks of the Lord sending his
messenger to prepare the way before him, and while that does have reference to
the coming of John the Baptist, it is one of those prophecies in the scriptures
that has a double fulfilment. It has reference also to the coming of the
Prophet Joseph Smith, because that messenger which was to come and prepare the
way before him, was to come in this day." (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:193)
Malachi 3:2 – 2
Luke 18:8
Reading 2 - Malachi 4:5-6
Reading 3 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: "No
tradition was more firmly planted in the hearts of Jewish Israel in Jesus' day
than the firm belief that Elijah the prophet would come again to prepare the
way before the expected Messiah. Both John and Jesus were assumed by some to be
this ancient prophet come again. To this day devout Jews set a vacant chair at
their table for Elijah when they celebrate the feast of the Passover. In part,
at least, this universal belief grew out of Jehovah's promise given by the
mouth of Malachi" (The Millennial Messiah, p265).
Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16
Luke 1:17
Reading 4: Joseph Smith taught: "The spirit, power, and
calling of Elijah is, that ye have power to hold the key of the revelation, ordinances,
oracles, powers and endowments of the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood
and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to receive, obtain, and perform all
the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God, even unto the turning of the
hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto
the fathers, even those who are in heaven....
"Now comes
the point. What is this office and work of Elijah? It is one of the greatest
and most important subjects that God has revealed. He should send Elijah to
seal the children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children....
"I wish you
to understand this subject, for it is important; and if you will receive it,
this is the spirit of Elijah, that we redeem our dead, and connect ourselves
with our fathers which are in heaven, and seal up our dead to come forth in the
first resurrection; and here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who
dwell on earth to those who dwell in heaven. This is the power of Elijah and
the keys of the kingdom of Jehovah....
"We cannot
be perfect without the fathers, &c. We must have revelation from them, and
we can see that the doctrine of revelation far transcends the doctrine of no
revelation; for one truth revealed from heaven is worth all the sectarian
notions in existence." (HC, 6:251-252)
Reading 5: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has taught: [S]ometime
not long after 9/11, a missionary asked me in all honesty and full of faith,
"Elder Holland, are these the last days?" I saw the earnestness in his
face and some of the fear in his eyes. I said, "Yes, Elder, we are in the
last days, but there is really nothing new about that. The promised Second
Coming of the Savior began with the First Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith in
1820. We can be certain that we are in the last days-years and years of
them." (CES Fireside, Sep. 12, 2004)
Zechariah 10:6-8
Reading 6 - Zechariah 12:2-3, 8-9
Zechariah 14:8
Ezekiel 47:8-9
Reading 7: Zechariah 14:3-4
Reading 8: Zechariah 12:10, 13:6
Zechariah 14:5
Doctrine and Covenants 88:96-98
Reading 9 - President Ezra Taft Benson said: "As we
live the commandments of God, we can look forward with joyful anticipation to
the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and know that through our efforts we
are worthy, with our loved ones, to dwell in His presence for all eternity.
Surely nothing is too hard to gain this great goal. We cannot let down for a
moment. We must prove, every day of our lives, that we are willing to do the
will of the Lord-to spread the restored gospel, to bear testimony to the world,
to share the gospel with others" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson
[1988], 341).
Malachi 3:8-12
Malachi 3:17-18
No comments:
Post a Comment